Bearing for water-wheel shafts.



No. 766,296. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. F. TRUMP.

BEARING FOR WATER WHEEL SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 26, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

l!!! H t! H II n UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1901.

PATENT OFFICE.

FULLER TRUMP, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,296, dated. August2, 1904.

Application filed October 26, 1903. Serial No. 178,453. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FULLER TRUMP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bearings forWVater-Wheel Shafts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bearings for water-wheel shafts,and it especially relates to bearings for shafts of horizontal wheels.

My invention consists in the constructions and combinations hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a deviceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of same. Fig.3 is a sectional view of the same, taken on the line a: w in Fig. 1.Fig. 4c is a detail view showing the bearing-block in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5is a detail plan view of the cap and bearing-support.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in theseveral views.

in the installation of turbine water-wheels on a horizontal shaft, orwhat are known as horizontal wheels, difficulty has been experienced inthe adjustment of the bearings to compensate for wear. It is quite thecommon practice to mount these turbine water-wheels on what are calleddraft-chests, which set in the fiume or penstock and connect the mainwater-wheel shaft through suitable outlet-openings to the armature ofelectric generators or to that part to which power is to be applied. Anyvariation, therefore, in the alinement of the shaft resulting from wearor otherwise is extremely detrimental. To the appliances heretofore usedit has been difficult to adjust bearings to compensate for wear and tobring them in alinement, as the parts run in water, and the shaft,moreover, is largely inclosed within the draft-chests. I have thereforearranged to overcome this difficulty by providing the novel bearingsshown in the drawings.

in said drawings, a (4 represent turbine water-wheels of any type; Z),the draft-chest having the oppositely extending branches 7/ If, to whichthe outlet-openings or discharge end of the wheel is applied.

0 is the water-wheel shaft, which extends through the draft-chest andcarries the respective wheels a (6, and is supported at each end by abearing-block d and at the center by a suspended bearing a. The outerbearings (Z consist, essentially, of a casing (Z, into which is fitted ahearing-block (Z preferably of wood, the upper part of the casingrlbeing open to permit the access of the water with which the bearing issurrounded, or it may be used to receive a lubricant, if desired. Thebearing-casing (Z fits in the bifurcated top of a stand d and rests onthe end of a vertical shaft or pin (Z, the lower end of which is seatedin the end of a pivoted lever (Z hinged at (Z to the stand and at itsouter end hinged to a screw-threaded rod (Z having an adjusting-nut d".The shaft or pin 11 is rounded at each end and forms a universalbearingsupport with the bearing-casing and the lever, respectively, sothat by turning the nut 12 the bearing (Z may be raised or lowered andmaintain always a proper position with reference to the shaft 0.

The bearing 6 within the draft-chest is suspended from the top of thedraft-chest by a U-shaped support a, which extends around abearing-support 1:, which carries the bearingblock 6 The respective endsof the U-shaped support e are screw-tln'eaded and provided withadjusting-nuts e at the top, whereby the hearing may be raised orlowered to compensate for wear or for other adjustment from the outsideof the casingordraft-chest. Immediately over this suspended bearingthere is an opening a provided in the top of the draftchest. Thisopening is normally closed by a loosely-seated cover a, the pressure ofthe water being sufficient to hold it in place. Said opening 6 issurrounded by upwardly-projecting sides, upon which the cover e" rests.At each end there are provided lugs (2 which extend above the top andthe sides of the opening and also above the cover, the cover beingnotched out to fit over said lugs and also notched out at the sides, soas to stand free from the adjusting-nuts e". The lugs e are faced off soas to be in accurate alinement with the center line of the draft-chestand furnish the means of leveling the draft-chest when placing it inposition and also of readily adjusting the shaft to the proper alinementwithout the necessity of going into the draft-chest. This isaccomplished as follows: When the wheels are in place and thedraft-chest leveled up with the shaft in exact alinement, the distanceis accurately measured from the top of thelugs am the top of the shaftand recorded. Hence if at any time the shaft becomes out of alinementbyreason of the wear on the bear.- ings it is only necessary to adjustthe various bearings by the adjusting-nuts until the exact measurementfrom the top of the lugs to the top of the shaft is secured, when theparts will be in perfect alinement. The removable cover also furnishesthe means for examining the suspended bearing at any time without havingother access to the draft-chest.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with thewater-wheel, the draft-chest, and the horizontal shaft extending throughthe draft-chest as described, of the adjustable bearings supporting saidshaft, one of said bearings being suspended from the top of thedraft-chest, and a removable cover and adjusting-nuts, and theleveling-lugs on the outside of said draft-chest, substantially asspecified.

2. -The combination with the inclosed casing or draft-chest, ahorizontal shaft passing through the same, an adjustable bearingconsisting ofasuspended block, an adjustable support for said block, anorifice above said block having a removable cover, and extending lugs ateach end of said orifice, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. The combination with the water-Wheel, the draft-chest, and thehorizontal shaft extending through the draft-chest as described, of theadjustable bearings supporting said shaft, one of said bearings beingsuspended from the top of the draft-chest, and a removable cover on theoutside of said draft-chest, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23dday of October,A. D. 1903.

FULLER TRUMP.

